Processes for repairing complex laminated composites

ABSTRACT

Complex laminated composites may be repaired by removal of individual damaged plies through peeling in order to exploit the weaker interlaminar properties of these composites. Upon removal of the individual damaged plies through peeling, replacement plies may be added to restore the laminated composite. In addition, when damage extends through the thickness of a laminated composite, a plug may be used to allow plies to be replaced while maintaining contour within the repair region. A caul plate also may be used to stiffen and maintain the contour of a repair region while peeling and removing plies from the repair region.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of U.S. Non-Provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 13/433,106 filed on Mar. 28, 2012, entitled“Processes for Repairing Complex Laminated Composites,” which isincorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure generally relates to composite repair, and moreparticularly to processes for repair of complex laminated composites.

BACKGROUND

Composite materials are becoming more prevalent in fabrication ofaircraft structures. When structural damage occurs to these compositematerials, sanding or cutting of plies may be employed to make repairs,and this may be used to achieve individual steps in a stepped scarfjoint repair or a continuous transition in a tapered joint repair.However, in using such techniques, it may be difficult to maintain thedepth of the scarf, the definition of ply terminations, and/or theconsistency of a taper angle over the entire repair area. Further, ifthru damage is present, tooling may be required to maintain the contourof the part comprising the repair area, thereby requiring disassemblyand removal of other parts not necessarily requiring repair so that thepart comprising the repair area may fit in the tooling.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a method for repairinga laminated composite comprising mapping dimensions and arrangement of aplurality of plies forming the laminated composite, defining a repairregion by identifying at least one of the plurality of plies that isdamaged, peeling and removing the damaged plies from the repair region,wherein each of the damaged plies is separately peeled and removed, andadding at least one replacement ply to the repair region. Each of thedamaged plies to be peeled and removed may be separately scored beforepeeling. The number of replacement plies added may be at least equal tothe number of damaged plies that are separately peeled and removed. Insome embodiments of the present disclosure, the number of replacementplies may be greater than the number of damaged plies that areseparately peeled and removed. At least one replacement ply may be addedin an overlapping manner. Further, additional replacement plies may beadded to each side of the repair region to further strengthen the repairregion.

The method may further include creating a repair patch and aligning andbonding the repair patch within the repair region. The repair patch maybe created by forming a first layer that matches the mapped dimensionsand arrangement of the plurality of plies forming the laminatedcomposite, forming at least one additional layer that matches the mappeddimensions and arrangement of the plurality of plies forming thelaminated composite, and aligning the first layer with the at least oneadditional layer. The method also may include introducing a caul plateto maintain the contour of the repair region while peeling and removingthe damaged plies from the repair region.

Other embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a method forrepairing a laminated composite comprising locating and defining arepair region of the laminated composite, the laminated composite havinga plurality of ply layers, creating a repair patch, peeling and removingone or more of the plurality of ply layers having damage, and aligningand bonding the repair patch to the one or more of the plurality of plylayers remaining in the repair region. The method may further comprisemapping dimensions and arrangement of the plurality of ply layersforming the laminated composite. Each of the one or more of theplurality of ply layers having damage may be separately peeled andremoved. Further, each of the one or more of the plurality of ply layersto be peeled and removed may be separately scored before peeling.

The repair patch may be created by forming a first layer that matchesthe mapped dimensions and arrangement of the plurality of ply layersforming the laminated composite, forming at least one additional layerthat matches the mapped dimensions and arrangement of the plurality ofply layers forming the laminated composite, and aligning the first layerwith the at least one additional layer. The number of layers forming therepair patch may be at least equal to the number of ply layers havingdamage that are separately peeled and removed.

Additional embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a methodfor repairing a laminated composite having a plurality of plies, themethod comprising locating damage to one or more of the plurality ofplies, the location of the damaged one or more of the plurality of pliesforming a repair region, removing the damaged one or more of theplurality of plies from the repair region, affixing a sacrificial plugto the repair region, peeling and removing at least one layer of thesacrificial plug, and adding at least one replacement ply to the repairregion. The sacrificial plug may be formed of the same material as theplurality of plies forming the laminated composite. The peeling andremoving step and the adding at least one replacement ply step may berepeated until each layer of the sacrificial plug has been removed. Themethod may further comprise applying a patch after the sacrificial plugis affixed to the repair region, wherein layers of the patch may bepeeled and removed concurrently with peeling and removing at least onelayer of the sacrificial plug. In addition, the damaged one or more ofthe plurality of plies also may be removed through peeling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, reference is nowmade to the following description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a repair area of an aircraft structure according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 depicts a process for repairing complex laminate compositesaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 a further process for repairing complex laminate compositesaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 4 depicts a further process for repairing complex laminatecomposites according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally provide processes forrepair of structures that may be fabricated using laminated composites,such as wing skins of aircraft structures. Laminated compositesgenerally may be comprised of various ply layers wherein each layer maybe impregnated separately and cured. Repair processes according toembodiments of the present disclosure may take advantage of the variousply layers within a laminated composite such that individual damagedplies may be peeled away and then replaced to preserve ply drops withinthe laminated composite.

FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of the present disclosure identifyingrepair area 101 of aircraft structure 100. Repair area 101 may be anarea of aircraft structure 100 comprised of a laminated composite thatmay be damaged. While repair area 101 is shown on a portion of a wing ofaircraft structure 100, it should be appreciated that processes forrepair according to embodiments of the present disclosure may beemployed in other areas of aircraft structure 100 without departing fromthe present disclosure.

Damage to repair area 101 generally may be repaired by peeling awayindividual plies of the laminated composite. Such peeling may exploitthe weaker interlaminar properties of the laminated composite andachieve more precise control during removal of the plies. This isbecause peeling generally only may affect a single ply being removed ata given time at a precise location within repair area 101. Suchprecision in repair through use of peeling has not previously beenprovided through more conventional scarfing, sanding or cuttingtechniques insofar as the depth of the removed laminate composite pliesmay be controlled through removal by peeling one ply at a time. Peelingalso may address variations in ply build-ups and ply drops as well ascontouring within a repair area and any changes in surface layers of thelarger structure where the repair region is identified. After one ormore damaged plies have been removed through peeling, replacement pliesmay then be added to restore the capabilities of the area where therepair has been made. It should be appreciated that when replacementplies are added, they may be added in an overlapping manner so as totransfer the loads on a ply-by-ply basis. These repair processes may beperformed using inexpensive tools and allow repairs to be made withoutthe need for complete removal of a repair area from a larger structure.Accordingly, repair processes according to embodiments of the presentdisclosure may provide a low cost method for repair while maintainingthe profile of a component within a larger structure.

FIG. 2 depicts process 200 for repairing complex laminated compositesaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In step 202,damage to the complex laminated composite may be located. This mayinvolve identification of the edge of damage, the extent of the damage,and the composition of the laminated composite used in the originalfabrication. This is an improvement over traditional sanding or routingmethods in that, if damage carries through multiple ply layers, thedamage may be repaired in a manner that addresses the contour of arepair area as well as the complex geometry of the laminated composite.Thus, process 200 may control and maintain such geometry through thecourse of a repair.

The repair region of the complex laminated composite may be identifiedin step 204. The dimensions and arrangement of plies may be mapped instep 206. In step 208, the ply layers may be peeled and then removed.Such peeling and removal may occur on a ply-by-ply basis. It should beappreciated that the plies may be scored before peeling occurs to betterpermit manipulation of the ply layers one at a time. Once the plies havebeen scored, it may be easier to take hold of the fibers within a ply tobegin the peeling process. Such scoring may be done one layer at a timethrough use of, for example, a sharp knife.

Finally, in step 210, replacement repair ply layers may be added. Whenreplacement repair ply layers are added, the number of replacement plylayers may generally match the number of damaged ply layers that werepeeled and removed in step 208. Accordingly, the repair ply layers maymatch ply for ply the damaged ply layers that have been peeled andremoved. It should be appreciated that the number of replacement repairply layers may not always equal the number of plies that have beenpeeled and removed but may generally be at least equal to the number ofdamaged ply layers. In some embodiments of the present disclosure,additional plies may be added beyond the number of damaged ply layerspeeled and removed to provide more strength within and around a repairarea. Further, in certain embodiments of the present disclosure, thenumber and type of replacement repair ply layers added may differdepending on the contour of the repair area. For example, the number ofply layers to be added may be tapered as the contour of aircraftstructure 100 within repair area 101 changes. Further, extra ply layersmay be added to each side of an area to be repaired in order to betterensure strength of the repair area while still maintaining desiredtolerances. However, it should be appreciated that processes for repairaccording to embodiments of the present disclosure may be performedwithout the addition of extra ply layers. In addition, it should beappreciated that if extra ply layers are to be added, there is nolimitation as to the number of ply layers that may be added as long asthe proper tolerances are maintained. This is an improvement over moretraditional sanding repair in that ply layers may now be traced duringrepair.

FIG. 3 depicts process 300 for repairing complex laminated compositesaccording to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Similar toprocess 200 of FIG. 2, in step 302, damage to the complex laminatedcomposited may be located, the repair region of the complex laminatedcomposite may be identified in step 304, and the dimensions andarrangements of plies may be mapped in step 306. However, process 300may diverge at step 308 when a repair patch may be created. In order tocreate a repair patch, layer_(i) may be formed to mapped dimensions instep 310. Layer_(i+1) may then be formed to conform to the mappeddimensions in step 312. In step 314, layer₁ may be aligned withlayer_(i+1) according to the mapped arrangement so as to ensure adequateload transfer across plies. It should be appreciated that steps 312 and314 may be repeated as many times as appropriate depending on the numberof ply layers that may be needed to make the repair according toembodiments of the present disclosure. Further, process 300 allows allply drops to be preserved so that when the repair patch is inserted, theply drops may be matched on a ply for ply basis.

It also should be appreciated that, as previously described, peelingallows for tracing of ply tapers which is an improvement over sanding.Accordingly, peeling allows all ply drops to be preserved so that therepair patch may be formed to better match ply for ply the ply layersthat may be removed through peeling. Once the layers of the repair patchhave been created, in step 316, ply layers in the repair area may bepeeled and removed. Finally, in step 318, the repair patch may bealigned and bonded to the repair area.

FIG. 4 depicts process 400 for repairing complex laminated compositesaccording to another embodiment of the present disclosure, such as whendamage may extend through the thickness of the composite. In step 402,damage to one or more of a plurality of plies may be located. A repairregion comprising the location of the damaged one or more of a pluralityof plies may be defined in step 404, and the dimensions and arrangementof plies may be mapped in step 406. In step 408, the damaged one or moreof the plies repair region may be removed from the repair region of thestructure. A sacrificial plug may be affixed into the repair region inthe structure in step 410. It should be appreciated that the plug may beformed of materials similar to those found in the repair region to matchthe material that is removed from the structure, and the plug may beformed of a thickness to extend through the repair region as deeply asmay be needed to effectuate the repair. Use of such a plug may allowplies to be replaced while still maintaining the contour of the repairarea and surrounding region. At least one layer of the sacrificial plugmay then be peeled and removed in step 412. Thus, the plug layer may beremoved in process 400 so that the damaged plies may be replaced withnew ones more easily. At least one replacement repair ply layer may thenbe added in step 414. It should be appreciated that the steps of peelingand removing layers of the sacrificial plug (step 412) and adding the atleast one replacement repair ply layer (step 414) may be repeated asmany times as there are layers of the sacrificial plug to be removed. Italso should be appreciated that once the plug is bonded into the repairregion, a patch also may be applied and then peeling may be utilized onboth the plug and the patch without departing from the presentdisclosure. Further, according to certain embodiments of the presentdisclosure, the plug may be self-removing or it may be peeled away afterthe at least one replacement repair ply layer has been added if the plugis still remaining when the one or more replacement repair ply layersare in place.

It should be appreciated that, similar to the sacrificial plug, atemporary caul plate may also be used to capture the shape of thestructure and to maintain the contour of a repair area during repairprocesses according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Such atemporary caul plate may provide stiffening properties during the repairin order to maintain the desired dimensional configuration followingcompletion of the repair process. A caul plate may be bonded to thesurface using small squares of adhesive as compared to coating theentire plate with adhesive in order to allow the small squares to besanded off more easily.

The repair processes according to embodiments of the present disclosurehave been described largely in the context of repairing a wing skinhaving complex laminate composite geometry that was previouslyconsidered to be unrepairable. However, it should be appreciated thatrepair processes according to embodiments of the present disclosure maybe utilized to repair structures other than wing skins and/or structuresother than aircraft structures. Accordingly, these repair processes maybe utilized when laminated composites having complex geometry, contourchanges, and/or when ply drops are involved without departing from thepresent disclosure.

Although the present disclosure and its advantages have been describedin detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutionsand alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit andscope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, thescope of the present application is not intended to be limited to theparticular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, compositionof matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. Asone of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from thedisclosure, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter,means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developedthat perform substantially the same function or achieve substantiallythe same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may beutilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, the appendedclaims are intended to include within their scope such processes,machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for repairing a laminatedcomposite, the method comprising: mapping dimensions and arrangement ofa plurality of ply layers forming the laminated composite; locating anddefining a repair region of the laminated composite by identifying atleast one of the plurality of ply layers that is damaged; scoring the atleast one of the plurality of ply layers that is damaged before peelingoccurs, wherein fibers within the at least one of the plurality of plylayers that is damaged are taken hold of to begin peeling and removingthe at least one of the plurality of ply layers that is damaged, whereinthe scoring is performed in such a way that the at least one of theplurality of ply layers that is damaged are not completely cut through;creating a repair patch; peeling and removing the at least one of theplurality of ply layers that is damaged from the repair region whereineach of the at least one of the plurality of ply layers that is damagedis separately peeled and removed; and aligning and bonding the repairpatch to the one or more of the plurality of ply layers remaining in therepair region, wherein the number of layers forming the repair patch isat least equal to the number of ply layers having damage that areseparately peeled and removed.
 2. The method of claim 1, the step ofcreating the repair patch further comprising: forming a first layer thatmatches the mapped dimensions and arrangement of the plurality of plylayers forming the laminated composite; forming at least one additionallayer that matches the mapped dimensions and arrangement of theplurality of ply layers forming the laminated composite; and aligningthe first layer with the at least one additional layer.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, wherein each of the one or more of the plurality of ply layersto be peeled and removed are separately scored before peeling.